A tribute to Ayla

I have decided that this blog is essential for several reasons: it is therapeutic for me to journal this experience; it's imperative that both my children can look back and see the progression of likely one of the biggest factors in the shaping of their lives; it's a way to update our family and friends of recent events; and I am realizing how much I want to give back to the IBD community (so much of my sense of understanding and relief has come from reading other's accounts of living with IBD).

Our one-year-old daughter, Ayla, has a working diagnosis of Infantile Crohn's Disease. At 6 months of age she started getting really sick: crying while stooling, followed by blood in her stool, loss of appetite, weight loss, and ulcers in her mouth. Since this time she has been hospitalized 4 times, has had 4 endoscopies, 1 spinal tap, 2 NG tubes, 1 blood transfusion, several x-rays, 1 porta-cath, and has undergone an arsenal of exams/treatments/medications. We believe she has not been in remission since initially becoming ill but she has surfaced on occassion and, at those times, she shines like the sun. We're working diligently on getting her healed as quickly as possible and keeping her there as long as we can.